The Arsenal captain salvaged a draw against the World Cup semi-finalists, overcoming a sloppy opening and difficult conditions to prove Norway can compete with the world's elite.
Martin Ødegaard scored Norway’s equaliser in their 1-1 draw with Morocco before admitting his side had to recover from a poor start.
The Arsenal captain found the net for Norway as they continued their World Cup preparations against one of Africa’s strongest sides. Morocco, who reached the semi-finals at the 2022 World Cup, provided a difficult test and caused problems early in the game.
Speaking after the match, Ødegaard said he was pleased to respond with a goal.
“It was nice,” Ødegaard said. “It is always good to score, and I could build a bit on that, so it was good to answer.”
Norway did not have things their own way, especially in the opening stages. Ødegaard admitted they were too loose in possession and allowed Morocco to threaten on the counter-attack.
“We had a messy opening,” he said. “We gave the ball away a lot, so there were some bad turnovers where they hurt us on counter-attacks. They are good there.
“Then I feel we worked our way into the game and got better and better. In the second half, we saw that we were the better team.”
The 27-year-old felt Norway finished strongly enough to win the match, even though they settled for a draw.
“We were close to getting another one too,” Ødegaard said. “A bit of a messy start, but we worked our way into it. Against a very good opponent, it is a strong result.
“There is also a lot to work on, so we can use the next few days for that.”
Ødegaard was also asked about the pressure Morocco put on Norway at the start of the game. He pushed back slightly on that idea, suggesting Norway invited pressure through their own mistakes rather than being overwhelmed.
“I don’t know if I was put under pressure,” he said. “I feel we played ourselves into pressure. We gave the ball away. I don’t feel they did much other than us giving them the ball, and then it became dangerous.
“It was more that we were not good enough, and then I think we worked our way into the game and found out more as it went on.”
Norway have enough quality to trouble strong opposition, but Ødegaard’s comments show the standard he expects from the side is higher than simply avoiding defeat.
Norway improved as the match went on, and their captain felt the final stages belonged to them.
“Especially in the last 30 or 40 minutes, I think we were clearly the better team and could have won,” he said.
Ødegaard was also asked whether the dry grass had played a part in Norway’s slow start. He accepted it may have been a factor, but did not use it as an excuse.
“Of course, it is a factor, but it is difficult to say,” he said. “A bit sloppy from us, and a messy opening. It may have taken a little longer to get used to the conditions than we had thought.
“When we got used to it and worked our way into it, we did much better.”
Norway will take the draw as a useful test before the World Cup, but Ødegaard’s message was clear enough. The response was good. But a lot of work is still needed.
